Carbon Cycle

Carbon is a fundamental building block of life; life on Earth is comprised of carbon-based life forms. Carbon also cycles through the oceans and the biosphere over both short and long-term time scales. The geological carbon cycle takes place over hundreds of millions of years and involves the cycling of carbon through the various layers of the Earth. The biological/physical carbon cycle occurs over days, weeks, months, and years and involves the absorption, conversion, and respiration of carbon by living organisms.

PhotosynthesisThe first step in the biological carbon cycle is the conversion of inorganic atmospheric carbon into a biological form. This 'fixing' of carbon in biological form takes place within plants and other organisms - known as producers - in a process called photosynthesis, by which energy from sunlight is converted into chemical form.

In photosynthesis, light combines with carbon dioxide and water to create carbohydrate molecules known as sucrose (C6H12O6). In oceans, photosynthesis is carried out by microscopic aquatic plants called phytoplankton. The carbohydrates then become the foundation for a system of chemical energy that fuels living cells in all plants and animals. In plants, some carbon remains within glucose for short-term energy use, while some is converted to starch for longer term energy storage.

Cycling and StorageWithin the oceans, a large amount of organic carbon sinks to the ocean floor to be buried into the crust of the earth. In plants and animals - known as consumers - carbon dioxide reenters the air through respiration, as food molecules are broken down for energy and CO2 gas and other byproducts are emitted.

The carbon that is absorbed from the atmosphere by plants and animals can take several paths before reentering the air as carbon dioxide. When a plant dies, it is broken down by microorganisms - called decomposers - that feed on the dead organic matter. As the microorganisms consume the plant matter, they release some of the plant's carbon into the atmosphere in the form of CO2, although some is destined for longer-term storage in trunks and branches of trees and in the bodies of plant-eating animals or carnivorous animals that eat plant-eating animals. These animals then return more of the carbon to the atmosphere as CO2 through respiration, although some will be stored within their bodies until they die and decompose in the soil. Finally, there will be carbon that remains stored in organic matter that does not decompose.

The Two Carbon Cycles and Human AlterationCarbon stored beneath the ocean floor is removed from the biological carbon cycle, entering the geological carbon cycle. Carbon converted to biological form in plants, consumed by animals, and returned to the atmosphere in respiration can travel this path over a very short period - days, weeks, or months. But carbon buried under the ocean floor might take tens of millions of years to return to the atmosphere, if it does at all. Throughout the Earth's history, this emission of CO2 (and many other gases) from deep below the planet's surface happens as geological events, such as volcanic eruptions.

Human beings tap into the geological carbon cycle by extracting oil and coal, which are both hydrocarbons, for use in automobiles and power plants. A byproduct of this combustion is CO2 gas. Since the Industrial Revolution began, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have increased measurably, mostly as a result of human use of fossil fuels.

Humans have also altered the biological carbon cycle, increasing atmospheric CO2 levels, through forest clearing and land use. Trees store large amounts of carbon; when they die and decompose, much of this stored carbon is released as CO2. However, when humans clear large expanses of forest, primarily through the use of fire, the levels of atmospheric carbon are increased in two ways. First, during combustion, stored carbon is released directly into the air as CO2, and second, the clearing of land takes away a key mechanism for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (via photosynthesis).

Since carbon dioxide is a primary greenhouse gas, many scientists argue that the increase in atmospheric CO2 from human activities has resulted in an enhanced greenhouse effect and could result in corresponding changes in our global climate, including higher global temperatures.

Harvard Magazine: "The Ocean Carbon Cycle"Part of a larger article on climate change entitled, "The Great Global Experiment," this page describes the processes by which carbon is absorbed into ocean surface waters and transferred to their depths.

Understanding the Global Carbon CycleThis Woods Hole Research Center site describes research related to the carbon cycle, including sequestration of carbon in forest ecosystems and the "missing" carbon sink.

National Geographic: The Case of the Missing CarbonHumans are generating 8 billion metric tons of carbon each year primarily through burning fossil fuels and land use; however, only about half of this carbon remains in the atmosphere. This article explains scientific research to determine where the "missing carbon" is and provides clear explanations of carbon sinks and sources. There are also useful links for further information.

DATA & MAPS

FOR THE CLASSROOM

Don't Leaf Out Photosynthesis Exercise two in this set of National Park Service activities is designed to increase the student awareness of photosynthesis and plant transpiration.

The Carbon Cycle GameThis activity used to explain the carbon cycle is intended for the advanced high school level.

What is the Carbon Cycle?In this exercise from the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, students will explore the carbon cycle and be able to identify carbon sources, sinks, and release agents.